Locking devices are a necessity for fender skirts on modern automobiles because of the high cost of fender skirts. Locking devices are especially needed in urban areas which have high crime rates. In such areas, protected parking facilities are not available and automobile owners must park their automobiles on public streets and in unguarded parking lots. Fender skirts are highly vulnerable to theft under such circumstances, especially by gangs of youths who can remove the fender skirts from an automobile in a matter of seconds.
Both locking and fastening devices for automobile fender skirts have been known or suggested over the years but none have gained wide spread public acceptance. The applicant is aware of various devices which are shown in the following listed patents which were found in a search in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. However, applicant has no personal knowledge that any of the devices shown in these patents have ever been used on automobiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,919 issued to Carey shows a combination U-shaped hook and bolt 25 which is used to attach an advertising sign to an automobile fender. The hook end 27 of the device attaches to the automobile fender. A washer 30 and a nut 31 fit over the threaded bolt portion of the device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,122,564 and 2,181,367 to Fergueson show a cylinder locking device 30 having an eccentric end plate 33 which extends behind a fender bead 37 of an automobile to lock the fender skirt to the automobile fender.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 20,857 to Haltenberger shows a fender skirt having a key operated locking device 80 located above a spring lever 22, 23. The locking device 80 has a bolt which in the locked position passes through aligned holes in the fender bead and the channel bottom to hold the fender skirt to the automobile fender.
Fergueson U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,610 shows a key operated tumbler lock 38 mounted on the fender skirt of an automobile and having radially extending fingers 48 which engage the rear end of the sleeve 43 mounted on the fender 10.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,460,349 to Hessler shows a fender skirt which is locked in place by a latch plate 34 that is actuated by a lock 36. A pair of links or bars 38 pivotally mounted on the latch plate 34 extend through guide brackets 40 fastened to the fender skirt. The links 38 fit behind the fender when fully extended to prevent removal of the fender skirt from the automobile.
Schatzman U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,721 shows a fender skirt having a pivotally mounted latch 71 and an operating arm 48. Schatzman U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,652 shows a fender skirt latching mechanism having a latching arm 34 operated by a pivotally mounted operating arm 33.
None of the foregoing patents shows a locking device that can readily be adapted to the latching mechanism on the fender skirt of a modern automobile. Such a latching mechanism consists of a pivotally mounted latch having an integral arm which is released by lifting the arm a short distance to clear a tab, moving the arm laterally a short distance and then allowing the arm to drop to swing the latch clear of locking engagement behind the automobile fender.
Therefore, an object of this invention is a key operated locking mechanism which can be adapted to the latching mechanism of a fender skirt on a modern automobile.
Another object of this invention is a locking device for an automobile fender skirt which completely encloses the operating arm for the fender skirt latch.
Another object of this invention is a locking mechanism having a threaded rod which engages an angle to form a locking enclosure.
Another object of this invention is a locking mechanism which can be readily adjusted for different types of fender skirt latching mechanisms.
Other objects may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.